1st Test Drive:
Year: 1996 NSX Targa
Mileage: 49,000 miles (US car)
Wheels: 17/18 Inch Enkei BORTEX RPM 2
Tires: Kumho Ecsta 215/40/R17
Price: $44,900
I went to test drive the RED 1996 Targa for sale in the AutoTrader.ca. The car was in Burlington and I had the opportunity to take it for a solid 20 minute drive. The owner was comfortable enough to allow me to drive it as I wish, and had no problem with me pushing the car to 7500rpm for a couple shifts.
This is the 3rd NSX I have driven (both previous TD's have been 91's) but is the first Targa I have driven.
I am not even considering a Targa, but needed to see and feel the torsional loss due to the Targa Top.
When asked how many owners this car had, the owner replied with 'i don't know'. Not a good way to start off when selling your NSX to somebody extremely serious about purchasing an NSX. After talking with the owner, I easily felt that this car was purely bought for joyriding and show boating.
The car started cleanly, it was a sunny Sunday, about 20 degrees out, I started the car and the SRS stayed on until I turned the car off and back on again. The owner said he had never seen that before. (strike 2). The engine light also remained on during the entire test drive. (strike 3) The passenger side window went up about 95%, then when the window met the A-pillar, it required opening the door to complete the window closure. (strike 3)
After letting the car idle for a solid 10 minutes (temp gauge 3/8), we got in and drove away. I drove it very gingerly during the first 5 minutes as I waited for the temperature gauge to get to 1/2. (Habit from driving my 93 SR-V). The driver said "its ok if you want to drive it and redline a couple shifts" and I said I was just waiting for the car to properly warm up. He replied "it should be ok by now". (strike 4).
I drove it on some service roads, over some bumps, curves, on and off ramps, and avoided the highway due to an accident I noticed on the way down. I noticed that the car was not as tight as the non-targa on some corners and over some major bumbs, but my senses could have been tricked from the experience of having the targa top off.
The last thing I noted was the non-symmetrical gap between the engine bay glass cover and the passenger side body panel where the two meet. (strike 5) There seemed to be a noticeably larger gap on the passenger side. I wonder if this is a body panel alignment issue, possibly from an accident or repair, and also assumed that it was probably connected to the passenger side window not being able to fully close without opening the door.
This would be the opposite end of the spectrum of what I am looking for. At $44,900 it is priced to sell, just not for someone who values the NSX and is serious about its current condition.
The Hunt Continues...
Year: 1996 NSX Targa
Mileage: 49,000 miles (US car)
Wheels: 17/18 Inch Enkei BORTEX RPM 2
Tires: Kumho Ecsta 215/40/R17
Price: $44,900
I went to test drive the RED 1996 Targa for sale in the AutoTrader.ca. The car was in Burlington and I had the opportunity to take it for a solid 20 minute drive. The owner was comfortable enough to allow me to drive it as I wish, and had no problem with me pushing the car to 7500rpm for a couple shifts.
This is the 3rd NSX I have driven (both previous TD's have been 91's) but is the first Targa I have driven.
I am not even considering a Targa, but needed to see and feel the torsional loss due to the Targa Top.
When asked how many owners this car had, the owner replied with 'i don't know'. Not a good way to start off when selling your NSX to somebody extremely serious about purchasing an NSX. After talking with the owner, I easily felt that this car was purely bought for joyriding and show boating.
The car started cleanly, it was a sunny Sunday, about 20 degrees out, I started the car and the SRS stayed on until I turned the car off and back on again. The owner said he had never seen that before. (strike 2). The engine light also remained on during the entire test drive. (strike 3) The passenger side window went up about 95%, then when the window met the A-pillar, it required opening the door to complete the window closure. (strike 3)
After letting the car idle for a solid 10 minutes (temp gauge 3/8), we got in and drove away. I drove it very gingerly during the first 5 minutes as I waited for the temperature gauge to get to 1/2. (Habit from driving my 93 SR-V). The driver said "its ok if you want to drive it and redline a couple shifts" and I said I was just waiting for the car to properly warm up. He replied "it should be ok by now". (strike 4).
I drove it on some service roads, over some bumps, curves, on and off ramps, and avoided the highway due to an accident I noticed on the way down. I noticed that the car was not as tight as the non-targa on some corners and over some major bumbs, but my senses could have been tricked from the experience of having the targa top off.
The last thing I noted was the non-symmetrical gap between the engine bay glass cover and the passenger side body panel where the two meet. (strike 5) There seemed to be a noticeably larger gap on the passenger side. I wonder if this is a body panel alignment issue, possibly from an accident or repair, and also assumed that it was probably connected to the passenger side window not being able to fully close without opening the door.
This would be the opposite end of the spectrum of what I am looking for. At $44,900 it is priced to sell, just not for someone who values the NSX and is serious about its current condition.
The Hunt Continues...
